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Lethe Chronicles #1
Flames of Lethe
"There was nothing out there. Nothing. And for the first time, Jo considered what it could mean to be alone with someone stronger—with someone who could hurt her if he wanted. There would be no one to stop him. No consequences. Ever."
When Jo finds herself stranded with a hostile companion in a desolate land where memories have vanished, she struggles not to give in to fear. But the fiercely intelligent golden Adonis who woke naked beside her isn't making it easy.
Christopher. His touch sets her blood on fire in ways she doesn't understand. Who is he? And why does hatred fill his eyes at the sight of her?
Tortured with a sun that burns them alive each day, they must work together to find shelter or endure the agony of existence completely alone. If only they knew the far greater tortures that await—or that falling in love would prove the greatest agony of all.
Hell is no place to follow your heart.
When Jo finds herself stranded with a hostile companion in a desolate land where memories have vanished, she struggles not to give in to fear. But the fiercely intelligent golden Adonis who woke naked beside her isn't making it easy.
Christopher. His touch sets her blood on fire in ways she doesn't understand. Who is he? And why does hatred fill his eyes at the sight of her?
Tortured with a sun that burns them alive each day, they must work together to find shelter or endure the agony of existence completely alone. If only they knew the far greater tortures that await—or that falling in love would prove the greatest agony of all.
Hell is no place to follow your heart.
386 pages, ebook
Published November 16, 2021
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6036 people want to read
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February 18, 2022Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: nada
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
Here are the trigger warnings for this book, beneath a spoiler tag because they do constitute a spoiler for the story:
As the author felt the review was offered in bad faith, and it is never my intent to speak about books in bad faith, I have removed the review.
Relevant disclaimers: nada
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
Here are the trigger warnings for this book, beneath a spoiler tag because they do constitute a spoiler for the story:
As the author felt the review was offered in bad faith, and it is never my intent to speak about books in bad faith, I have removed the review.
November 17, 2021
ABSOLUTELY NOT NO
FIRST of all the author didn’t give a good trigger warning AT ALL & even then should have alerted in the actual chapters/pages the r(4)pe was happening so we could skip it
SECOND the FMC falls in love with her r(4)pist she find this out at the end. & magically forgives him bc he NeEds her & she nEeDs him
THIRD the FMC is useless & boring all she does is cry & swoon & “love” like really ??
This is unfortunately one of the only well written ménage/RH books that have been written all year. Unfortunately it’s also hot basura…..like I can’t believe this I really can’t believe what I read & I’ve read a lot of dark books but wow
FIRST of all the author didn’t give a good trigger warning AT ALL & even then should have alerted in the actual chapters/pages the r(4)pe was happening so we could skip it
SECOND the FMC falls in love with her r(4)pist she find this out at the end. & magically forgives him bc he NeEds her & she nEeDs him
THIRD the FMC is useless & boring all she does is cry & swoon & “love” like really ??
This is unfortunately one of the only well written ménage/RH books that have been written all year. Unfortunately it’s also hot basura…..like I can’t believe this I really can’t believe what I read & I’ve read a lot of dark books but wow
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2021
I was quite excited by the interesting concept for this book, however I have to come here and say it is just not acceptable. This book deals with rape and and human sexual desires/urges. I am fortunately not triggered by rape in a book if it is treated as a horrible thing for someone to experience, however I feel this books condones rape. A woman is raped by the two men she trusts most (and is romantically involved with) and they respond by telling her that it is her own fault because she started it by taking her clothes off. As if a man cannot be held responsible for controlling himself or stopping when told to if aroused. And the woman continues caring for these two men, seemingly accepting that they are right and moving on. Yuck. No thank you. At that point, I decided the book was not worth reading and quit.
August 16, 2022
This is the first instalment in the Lethe Chronicles.
I want to preface this review by stating that dark fantasy romance lies outside of my usual reading preferences but, due to the mythological links with this one and my interest in the genre as a whole, I thought I would attempt to read it.
I sadly can't say I had fun with any of this book's contents. I did appreciate the mythological links, so props for those inclusions, but also, as other reviewers have stated, felt entirely blindsided by the contents, due to the lack of trigger warnings and with the excessive abuse that the female characters endure.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Lexie Talionis for this opportunity.
I want to preface this review by stating that dark fantasy romance lies outside of my usual reading preferences but, due to the mythological links with this one and my interest in the genre as a whole, I thought I would attempt to read it.
I sadly can't say I had fun with any of this book's contents. I did appreciate the mythological links, so props for those inclusions, but also, as other reviewers have stated, felt entirely blindsided by the contents, due to the lack of trigger warnings and with the excessive abuse that the female characters endure.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Lexie Talionis for this opportunity.
February 22, 2023
Flames of Lethe is a MFM, dark sci-fi romance set between the dystopian and normal world. I am not exactly clear if it's time-travel or if the characters are getting warnings about the future since this is book one of the series, there is more to come.
Christopher and Jo woke up naked alone in a desert with no memories except few vague visions that they might know each other. After wandering for days they finally find shelter. Thinking they found safety and people, they never realised the corrupted society they walked into. Planning to look out for each other, there, they meet Adam which brings more questionable thoughts.
The premise is outdown. I enjoy the authors imagination, the dark ideas about clothing, the minimum population of women and how men in dytopian era still uses women as inferior. I like that the h wants both men and she never hides it, also the fact that one of the H rapes her and both men can't tolerate each other. I believe in the next few books both men may have a bonding growth? I also like the idea of the main characters of having no clothes in atleast 2/3 of the book, the utter mortification of Jo having to keep her 'nice' sensibilities or to peek at Christophers dick.
Finally, there was a little fumbling with the scenes, I felt few scenes were unnecessarily added and Jo was annoying at some point.
Triggers: descriptive dark world, rape, violence
Christopher and Jo woke up naked alone in a desert with no memories except few vague visions that they might know each other. After wandering for days they finally find shelter. Thinking they found safety and people, they never realised the corrupted society they walked into. Planning to look out for each other, there, they meet Adam which brings more questionable thoughts.
The premise is outdown. I enjoy the authors imagination, the dark ideas about clothing, the minimum population of women and how men in dytopian era still uses women as inferior. I like that the h wants both men and she never hides it, also the fact that one of the H rapes her and both men can't tolerate each other. I believe in the next few books both men may have a bonding growth? I also like the idea of the main characters of having no clothes in atleast 2/3 of the book, the utter mortification of Jo having to keep her 'nice' sensibilities or to peek at Christophers dick.
Finally, there was a little fumbling with the scenes, I felt few scenes were unnecessarily added and Jo was annoying at some point.
Triggers: descriptive dark world, rape, violence
February 19, 2023
I’m sick so you’ll be seeing more activity on my GR 😬
More Thoughts:
A creative story.
When I looked at the cover, I was worried it would be YA. It's not.
The society of the liminal world that they are in, a space explained as atonement, is based on restrictive gender roles where women are classified as tier one all the way to tier five. Because there are less women than men, women are given either to an Ancient or to a few men, loaned out by corporations, or by a group of men. I feel like there are many liminal spaces that are created for specific cases... I'm still not exactly sure what this liminal space is meant to say about the love triangle.
I enjoyed the flashback a lot. Like, I would have been happy to have read a whole story about that. Adam and Christopher - oof! Both are so appealing.
A GR reviewer has likened Christopher from Flames of Lethe to Christopher from Lemonade and oh boy what is it about mean heroes named Christopher??
More Thoughts:
A creative story.
When I looked at the cover, I was worried it would be YA. It's not.
The society of the liminal world that they are in, a space explained as atonement, is based on restrictive gender roles where women are classified as tier one all the way to tier five. Because there are less women than men, women are given either to an Ancient or to a few men, loaned out by corporations, or by a group of men. I feel like there are many liminal spaces that are created for specific cases... I'm still not exactly sure what this liminal space is meant to say about the love triangle.
I enjoyed the flashback a lot. Like, I would have been happy to have read a whole story about that. Adam and Christopher - oof! Both are so appealing.
A GR reviewer has likened Christopher from Flames of Lethe to Christopher from Lemonade and oh boy what is it about mean heroes named Christopher??
January 10, 2022
1.5/5
TW: rape, abuse
I went into this book expecting reverse harem themes, aware of the trigger warnings, and hoping for an entertaining little story on the side to set up the reverse harem.
What I got was...well, it was pretty terrible.
Jo is one of the more annoying characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading. We are told multiple times that she is strong minded, determined, and bold. However, we are merely told this and what she actually is, is unbearably whiny and simple minded.
The two men that are supposed to be the harem part of this are dull. One is cruel and his whole story arc is sex will set him free or something. I don't know, it got old pretty quick. The other guy is written as more of the impulsive hero who is going to knock a lot of boots and make decisions without thinking them through first and is packing in the pants. Neither one are very interesting.
Even the sex scenes are fairly tame. For a book with self professed "extremely dark themes" everything was pretty dull. There were a couple shock moments as you explore the world but nothing memorable.
Overall, this was a waste of time. It promised a lot and delivered on very little.
TW: rape, abuse
I went into this book expecting reverse harem themes, aware of the trigger warnings, and hoping for an entertaining little story on the side to set up the reverse harem.
What I got was...well, it was pretty terrible.
Jo is one of the more annoying characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading. We are told multiple times that she is strong minded, determined, and bold. However, we are merely told this and what she actually is, is unbearably whiny and simple minded.
The two men that are supposed to be the harem part of this are dull. One is cruel and his whole story arc is sex will set him free or something. I don't know, it got old pretty quick. The other guy is written as more of the impulsive hero who is going to knock a lot of boots and make decisions without thinking them through first and is packing in the pants. Neither one are very interesting.
Even the sex scenes are fairly tame. For a book with self professed "extremely dark themes" everything was pretty dull. There were a couple shock moments as you explore the world but nothing memorable.
Overall, this was a waste of time. It promised a lot and delivered on very little.
November 26, 2021
Christopher and Jo woke up naked in the desert with no memories but their names. They thought they were safe when they found other people, but they couldn't have been more wrong. When tall, dark, and brooding Adam joins the fray things get even more complicated. How will they survive in a world with archaic ideas on gender roles and "ancients" that run everything? Will they be able to ever figure out who they really are and their unquestionable connection?
Ok, so what they heck did I just read? The premise of the story is quite interesting and I was looking forward to reading something a little different from my usual genres, but it just fell short of expectations.
Here's my breakdown: **don't read any further if you don't want spoilers**
The good: The story is unique. I haven't read anything like it before and that was refreshing. The story (mostly) is dynamic and it drags you in wanting to find out what happens to the characters. The world building is fantastic and you can easily visualize what is being described.
The bad: Now, I am in no way prudish, and have thoroughly enjoyed many books with "adult" themes. BUT... I feel like Lexie Talionis was going for shock factor when it came to this story. There were many places were it fit the story and worked well, but there were many others where it felt forced, like she just HAD to have it there. Hmm... we just woke up naked in the desert and don't know who we are? Let me jump you!... There is a room full of men in front of us and I forgot I'm naked and don't want them to see me like this, but lets bone in the hallway before we go in... I know you hate this guy, but let me get it on with him while you, what, watch, because I'm completely ignoring the fact that you are sitting right there...
The ugly: Does the author have no other way to describe the movement of eyebrows other than "his brows drew/pulled together?" More than twenty times in the book this description was used! While the world building was phenomenal, the descriptions of the actual characters fell flat. Plus, Jo cried at literally EVERYTHING! It's hard to relate to a main character that has absolutely no control over her emotions. I almost DNFed this several times in frustration with the repetitiveness of character descriptions. There are also some spots that - while I saw it coming a mile away - some readers may not be ready for without some kind of trigger warning. This book deals with some really DARK ideas and shouldn't be read by anyone in a fragile state not ready to deal with them.
Ok, so what they heck did I just read? The premise of the story is quite interesting and I was looking forward to reading something a little different from my usual genres, but it just fell short of expectations.
Here's my breakdown: **don't read any further if you don't want spoilers**
The good: The story is unique. I haven't read anything like it before and that was refreshing. The story (mostly) is dynamic and it drags you in wanting to find out what happens to the characters. The world building is fantastic and you can easily visualize what is being described.
The bad: Now, I am in no way prudish, and have thoroughly enjoyed many books with "adult" themes. BUT... I feel like Lexie Talionis was going for shock factor when it came to this story. There were many places were it fit the story and worked well, but there were many others where it felt forced, like she just HAD to have it there. Hmm... we just woke up naked in the desert and don't know who we are? Let me jump you!... There is a room full of men in front of us and I forgot I'm naked and don't want them to see me like this, but lets bone in the hallway before we go in... I know you hate this guy, but let me get it on with him while you, what, watch, because I'm completely ignoring the fact that you are sitting right there...
The ugly: Does the author have no other way to describe the movement of eyebrows other than "his brows drew/pulled together?" More than twenty times in the book this description was used! While the world building was phenomenal, the descriptions of the actual characters fell flat. Plus, Jo cried at literally EVERYTHING! It's hard to relate to a main character that has absolutely no control over her emotions. I almost DNFed this several times in frustration with the repetitiveness of character descriptions. There are also some spots that - while I saw it coming a mile away - some readers may not be ready for without some kind of trigger warning. This book deals with some really DARK ideas and shouldn't be read by anyone in a fragile state not ready to deal with them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2023
For the first time in a while a book truly engrossed me from beginning to end. This was such an original premise and the world building was unique and masterfully done. The romance was unique and quite messy. The author didn't shy from controversial subject matter and I really appreciated that nothing was neat or fit into conventional boxes. I also loved seeing an MFM relationship where the guys actively don't want to share the woman. While we do get an HEA, a lot is left to interpretation and I would love to see more from these characters. This book isn't safe on multiple levels, so keep that in mind.
November 29, 2021
Debut book from author Lexie Talionis has already placed her in league with other dark fantasy/sci-fi romance writers whom I adore, such as V.K. Ludwig, Laura Thalassa, and R. Lee Smith. She has knocked this one out of the park on her first book of the series:
THE LETHE CHRONICLES.
Here are a few reasons that I loved this book:
*First, the writer's style is spellbinding, and her words seem to flow with ease. The story she tells grabs you from the beginning and makes you feel everything that she wishes you to experience. (I have a serious book hangover after this one.) It literally punched me in the gut, brought me to tears, and left me wanting more.
*Next, the world building is astounding! The verbally descriptive pictures painted by this author real a world filled with unimaginable horrors and terror around every corner.
*And finally the main characters are three very intriguing, broken, and sometimes selfish individuals who come together in this world of constant horror to protect, love, hurt, defend, and even hate. You will definitely have a gut wrenching love/hate relationship with them. But if love can transcend time and worlds, even into death and the unknown, then this book captures it for us.
But read the author's blurb. There are some serious cautions before reading this book.
Raw, Intense, Epic!
THE LETHE CHRONICLES.
Here are a few reasons that I loved this book:
*First, the writer's style is spellbinding, and her words seem to flow with ease. The story she tells grabs you from the beginning and makes you feel everything that she wishes you to experience. (I have a serious book hangover after this one.) It literally punched me in the gut, brought me to tears, and left me wanting more.
*Next, the world building is astounding! The verbally descriptive pictures painted by this author real a world filled with unimaginable horrors and terror around every corner.
*And finally the main characters are three very intriguing, broken, and sometimes selfish individuals who come together in this world of constant horror to protect, love, hurt, defend, and even hate. You will definitely have a gut wrenching love/hate relationship with them. But if love can transcend time and worlds, even into death and the unknown, then this book captures it for us.
But read the author's blurb. There are some serious cautions before reading this book.
Raw, Intense, Epic!
March 3, 2022
ARC from NetGalley
Ehhh 1.75 stars
DNF @ something percent I don't even know. I started to skim after 50%
This book is so, so boring and so disappointing. I was expecting some kind of erotic dark fantasy romance, but I trudged on through the dullness and never really got to that place before I started to skim, yawn, and give up. Aside from the odd boner, there are no sexy bits in this book until at least the 40% mark, and when it happens, it doesn't. I don't even know when the proper sexy bits start happening because I was skimming by that point, but when I eventually reached a proper sexy bit, it was really meh. You should really have your sexy bit game on point if you're going to market your novel like this.
I went into this a little iffy. I'm not usually into non-consent/dark erotic, and I was going a bit out of my comfort zone, but the cover was pretty and I was feeling adventurous, so I gave it a shot.
We spend the first fifth of the book with Christopher and Jo walking across the sand naked. She keeps on thinking that she wants to touch/do him, and he keeps scowling and being a jerk and getting multiple boners. Then they finally reach civilization, and it's a sausage fest. The chicks all have to go to chick school to learn how to be submissive, and then they're eventually graded like cattle and assigned a number which will determine whether they get raped by loads of poor dudes or one rich dude.
I noped out around this point and started really loosely skimming to see if I was ever going to reach a proper sexy bit, which I hoped would redeem this snore-fest to some degree... alas. The plot/characters/setting/everything are not remotely interesting enough to carry this shit without some decent rubbings of bits against other bits. I got another title by this author to review, but Flames of Lethe was so shite that I don't even want to give it a chance.
Do not recommend.
Ehhh 1.75 stars
DNF @ something percent I don't even know. I started to skim after 50%
This book is so, so boring and so disappointing. I was expecting some kind of erotic dark fantasy romance, but I trudged on through the dullness and never really got to that place before I started to skim, yawn, and give up. Aside from the odd boner, there are no sexy bits in this book until at least the 40% mark, and when it happens, it doesn't. I don't even know when the proper sexy bits start happening because I was skimming by that point, but when I eventually reached a proper sexy bit, it was really meh. You should really have your sexy bit game on point if you're going to market your novel like this.
I went into this a little iffy. I'm not usually into non-consent/dark erotic, and I was going a bit out of my comfort zone, but the cover was pretty and I was feeling adventurous, so I gave it a shot.
We spend the first fifth of the book with Christopher and Jo walking across the sand naked. She keeps on thinking that she wants to touch/do him, and he keeps scowling and being a jerk and getting multiple boners. Then they finally reach civilization, and it's a sausage fest. The chicks all have to go to chick school to learn how to be submissive, and then they're eventually graded like cattle and assigned a number which will determine whether they get raped by loads of poor dudes or one rich dude.
I noped out around this point and started really loosely skimming to see if I was ever going to reach a proper sexy bit, which I hoped would redeem this snore-fest to some degree... alas. The plot/characters/setting/everything are not remotely interesting enough to carry this shit without some decent rubbings of bits against other bits. I got another title by this author to review, but Flames of Lethe was so shite that I don't even want to give it a chance.
Do not recommend.
February 21, 2023
3 stars solid. I didn't hate it, but it gave me a lot of mixed feelings. I can't say much without ruining the ending, but it all makes sense in the end. I wouldn't recommend dnf'ing. There are parts of this story that were highly enjoyable and made sense (the world building was good, especially with how it was explained in the end). However, the characters make some rash decisions that made me mad, but again they make sense in the end.
I'm definitely intrigued to see what else this author ends up publishing in terms in new stories. I have to say this book was 5 stars in terms of originality, again I mainly downed the rating due to the characters being frustrating. However, I don't know if I should even do that since their actions do make sense by the end.
Also heads up, this may be obvious to some people, but the Lethe people drink blood and wear human skin/hair. This made sense in regards to the world they lived in, but it also grossed me out a bit. This is probably a good example of not liking one of the details of the story, but it making sense by the end or in the general context of the story/world building.
I'm definitely intrigued to see what else this author ends up publishing in terms in new stories. I have to say this book was 5 stars in terms of originality, again I mainly downed the rating due to the characters being frustrating. However, I don't know if I should even do that since their actions do make sense by the end.
Also heads up, this may be obvious to some people, but the Lethe people drink blood and wear human skin/hair. This made sense in regards to the world they lived in, but it also grossed me out a bit. This is probably a good example of not liking one of the details of the story, but it making sense by the end or in the general context of the story/world building.
December 1, 2021
I can't believe what a great book this was. I've never read dark fantasy before, and honestly, I'm so glad I gave it a try. The concept is fascinating, the world-building is exceptional, and the characters, their trials and tribulations, and their evolution, throughout the book are just incredible. I love each one, for a multitude of reasons.
It's a challenging story. It's dark. There are moments that made me say OMG, and even OMFG, and that's what a great book should do. It's supposed to suck you in, and make you live the story. This writer did that like a professional, with dozens of books under their belt.
If you only read one book before the end of the year, I strongly recommend that you make it this one. It's one of the best books I've ever read. Can't wait for book 2!!
It's a challenging story. It's dark. There are moments that made me say OMG, and even OMFG, and that's what a great book should do. It's supposed to suck you in, and make you live the story. This writer did that like a professional, with dozens of books under their belt.
If you only read one book before the end of the year, I strongly recommend that you make it this one. It's one of the best books I've ever read. Can't wait for book 2!!
July 19, 2023
2.5 🌟🌟
I'm just not sure if I even liked the book. The FMC annoyed me, and I also felt baffled by this whole story. It was just an okay read. I will try reading other books by the author in the future.
I'm just not sure if I even liked the book. The FMC annoyed me, and I also felt baffled by this whole story. It was just an okay read. I will try reading other books by the author in the future.
September 3, 2022
”Maybe burning is good. Maybe that’s what I’m supposed to do. I didn’t stop being paralyzed until I chose to burn with you.”
I first found this author when I came across her book, “Unfated Mates” on Wattpad and instantly fell in love with her writing.
I started reading Flames of Lethe not knowing what the story was about. It’s completely different than anything I’ve ever read. From the very first page I was sucked in. Trying to figure it out. Often catching me by surprise. So much so, I talked about it with my husband several times which I never do lol. It was this way until the very end. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to what happens next in Dreams of Lethe.
I first found this author when I came across her book, “Unfated Mates” on Wattpad and instantly fell in love with her writing.
I started reading Flames of Lethe not knowing what the story was about. It’s completely different than anything I’ve ever read. From the very first page I was sucked in. Trying to figure it out. Often catching me by surprise. So much so, I talked about it with my husband several times which I never do lol. It was this way until the very end. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to what happens next in Dreams of Lethe.
February 14, 2022
Lost interest already at 12%
May 11, 2022
Flames of the Lethe opens with a trigger warning that this book features dubious consent, graphic violence, and distributing scenarios. However, it’s important to note that r*pe is a key plot point that is not explicitly stated in the initial warnings. If this is a trigger for you, I would reconsider the series.
For the dark romance and dark fantasy fans, this is right up your alley. The author outlines her book as a “deeper discussion and reflection on the nature of consent, on what it means to be good/bad, and who gets to decide to forgive.”
This premise and the title alone had me hooked. Flames of the Lethe opens with two characters stranded naked on a beach…But as the book continued, I grew a bit bored. The initial chapters are tedious and fail to capture the exciting aspects of an adventure/travel arc. Additionally, the FMC (Jo) is whiny and repetitive, making it hard for me to root for her.
Once the setting shifts, the pace picks up and the story becomes more rooted in issues of consent, good/evil, and power/control. The setting feels beyond time and space, including interesting worldbuilding. In terms of romance, there is push pull between two apparent love interests and a relationship arc that feels more reverse harem than enemies to lovers.
Ultimately, it’s sound writing. The story just didn’t capture me like I thought it would. Still, fans of Laura Thalassa will love this steamy, borderline apocalyptic tale featuring brooding males and the woman they adore.
For the dark romance and dark fantasy fans, this is right up your alley. The author outlines her book as a “deeper discussion and reflection on the nature of consent, on what it means to be good/bad, and who gets to decide to forgive.”
This premise and the title alone had me hooked. Flames of the Lethe opens with two characters stranded naked on a beach…But as the book continued, I grew a bit bored. The initial chapters are tedious and fail to capture the exciting aspects of an adventure/travel arc. Additionally, the FMC (Jo) is whiny and repetitive, making it hard for me to root for her.
Once the setting shifts, the pace picks up and the story becomes more rooted in issues of consent, good/evil, and power/control. The setting feels beyond time and space, including interesting worldbuilding. In terms of romance, there is push pull between two apparent love interests and a relationship arc that feels more reverse harem than enemies to lovers.
Ultimately, it’s sound writing. The story just didn’t capture me like I thought it would. Still, fans of Laura Thalassa will love this steamy, borderline apocalyptic tale featuring brooding males and the woman they adore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
Started out strong, interesting concept and thought provoking. However the further I got, the more sex was crammed into scenes just for the sake of having sex in the scene.
Basically smut in Hell with points that had potential to be really interesting, but ended up falling flat. There were a few scenes that didn't really make sense stalled the flow of the story.
I also wondered a few times if the author had actually seen an erect penis before.
Basically smut in Hell with points that had potential to be really interesting, but ended up falling flat. There were a few scenes that didn't really make sense stalled the flow of the story.
I also wondered a few times if the author had actually seen an erect penis before.
September 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
I was quickly caught up in the story. It's dark sensuality is edgy and intense.
The shifting roles of the characters kept me riveted. The flow and pace kept me turning pages.
The vivid imagery lets you see and feel their torments and pleasures.
I couldn't put it down.
I'm glad I found this book, and look forward to reading more!
I was quickly caught up in the story. It's dark sensuality is edgy and intense.
The shifting roles of the characters kept me riveted. The flow and pace kept me turning pages.
The vivid imagery lets you see and feel their torments and pleasures.
I couldn't put it down.
I'm glad I found this book, and look forward to reading more!
December 23, 2021
I guess I went into this book with a different idea of what would happen….?
I honestly have no idea, but the roller coaster of emotions I just went though was insane. There were so many twists and turns that I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to feel.
My rating of this book is purely off of the excitement, frustration, adrenaline, pure anger I felt while reading- the ‘WHAT THE FU*K ARE YOU DOING?!’ I wanted to scream (and actually did according to my husband, more than once).
Spoiler (kinda?) :
Just FYI, I was always team Adam. Christopher just felt yucky to me from the start. To each their own, but holy shit the amount of times I wanted to punch BOTH of them in the balls is unreal.
I honestly have no idea, but the roller coaster of emotions I just went though was insane. There were so many twists and turns that I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to feel.
My rating of this book is purely off of the excitement, frustration, adrenaline, pure anger I felt while reading- the ‘WHAT THE FU*K ARE YOU DOING?!’ I wanted to scream (and actually did according to my husband, more than once).
Spoiler (kinda?) :
Just FYI, I was always team Adam. Christopher just felt yucky to me from the start. To each their own, but holy shit the amount of times I wanted to punch BOTH of them in the balls is unreal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2022
Dark but amazing
First of all, I read this entirely because of a negative review claiming it was 'too dark'. It's not my normal style of book.
I adored it! It truly does feel like Hell, and I got lost completely while reading it. The characters are so thoroughly layered that finding my way through their personalities was an adventure.
There's a massive twist at the end, one that made me both astonished and horrified.
This is a truly talented author, an amazing book, and I cannot wait to start the next one!
First of all, I read this entirely because of a negative review claiming it was 'too dark'. It's not my normal style of book.
I adored it! It truly does feel like Hell, and I got lost completely while reading it. The characters are so thoroughly layered that finding my way through their personalities was an adventure.
There's a massive twist at the end, one that made me both astonished and horrified.
This is a truly talented author, an amazing book, and I cannot wait to start the next one!
January 12, 2022
This was a story that I couldn’t put down. I kept having to see what happened next. It’s well written and I enjoyed it, but it is definitely not for everyone. Please believe the author and the reviews: this story is very dark. Most of the characters do very questionable or very bad things. If you like trigger warnings, this is it. Without giving away too much, this book could very likely trigger you. It is literally about people going to Hell and finding themselves. There is a happy ending, if you believe in forgiveness.
September 13, 2022
abominable
The book started out well-very different than anything I have ever read…Then we find out that the woman was raped, in graphic detail, and she automatically and immediately forgives her rapist -asking for him to stay-begging and pleading, then makes him her forever. Insensitive and disrespectful to anyone who has been in a situation even resembling kind of assault.
The book started out well-very different than anything I have ever read…Then we find out that the woman was raped, in graphic detail, and she automatically and immediately forgives her rapist -asking for him to stay-begging and pleading, then makes him her forever. Insensitive and disrespectful to anyone who has been in a situation even resembling kind of assault.
December 26, 2021
Holy shizz i am shook. Epic and unexpected.
January 9, 2022
This is probably one of the darkest stories I’ve ever read and while I found the story intriguing I have to say I was more interested in finishing it just to find out the ending rather than because I was enjoying it.
The author was kind enough to give plenty of warning about the contents of this book at the beginning so I won’t say I wasn’t aware going in, but even so it did surprise me a little at just how far it went.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a ‘bad’ book, the writing was good and it was definitely interesting. The story flowed well and the world building was great. The main thing that puts me off giving a higher rating is the fact that it was so dark - which I know isn’t fair to the author as I was warned prior to starting! But I can’t help how I feel about it I guess… 🤷♀️
The author was kind enough to give plenty of warning about the contents of this book at the beginning so I won’t say I wasn’t aware going in, but even so it did surprise me a little at just how far it went.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a ‘bad’ book, the writing was good and it was definitely interesting. The story flowed well and the world building was great. The main thing that puts me off giving a higher rating is the fact that it was so dark - which I know isn’t fair to the author as I was warned prior to starting! But I can’t help how I feel about it I guess… 🤷♀️
March 24, 2022
So many twists and turns.
I love this author and the book was really unexpected, I had no idea what would happen.
Overall the plot was wild, set in a truly novel world and I enjoyed it.
I feel that it needed tweaking in places and editing the hell out of to ensure it flowed well, explained everything that was happening and that the dialogue was clear.
But the premise was dark, interesting and had good characters.
3 stars xxx
I love this author and the book was really unexpected, I had no idea what would happen.
Overall the plot was wild, set in a truly novel world and I enjoyed it.
I feel that it needed tweaking in places and editing the hell out of to ensure it flowed well, explained everything that was happening and that the dialogue was clear.
But the premise was dark, interesting and had good characters.
3 stars xxx
January 15, 2022
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First I will say before I get into the actual review, that the authors need to not give a trigger warning I both understand but also I feel like it needs one nevertheless. So if you are triggered by things like women being treated like sex slaves, rape, or anything to that effect, I wouldn't recommend this book. It just isn't for you unless it is something specific you are looking for.
What I hated.
There are really only 1 or 2 things I hated about this book. First, there were no explanations really. But I can look past it as this book REALLY drew you in, and you kinda only know as much as the characters know. I didn't easily figure out what was going on, were they in a type of HELL, sure. Secondly, I hated we only had a point of view from 1 of the 3 main characters. The entire time we knew how Jo thought and her struggles and what she wanted. But I would have loved to know what Chris and Adam's were, The memories they had known and remembered since they had known more than she did.
What I loved.
I loved the way the author's words flowed together and how descriptive her world-building was. She didn't leave out details and at the same time, she didn't overload you with them. She didn't give flowery descriptions it was amazing. It drew me in, Other than sleep and real-life things I didn't put it down and had to finish this book. I wanted to know what was going to happen and how they were going to overcome their next huddle. Now did this get me in my feels? No. But at the same time, I would recommend this.
About the book.
At the beginning of the book, Chris and Jo wake up naked, with no memories in the middle of a dessert. No one in sight, and somewhere that is not their planet. Every day they "burn" and at night they travel trying to find someone or someplace safe from the sun. This is the part of the book I immediately wanted to know Chris's POV because Jo wanted so badly to get close to him and in a way, I wanted to know why if she was the only woman would he push her away or at times seem to hate her if they had no memories of whatever past life they had together. Yet he protected her, They eventually find a city, underground where they no longer have to worry about facing another day in the sun where they would fall asleep and be in agony until the night. But this world was unlike something they expected to find. Jo and Chris get separated and since women were few they had become the property of the men. Separating into separate tiers based on how their performance in their training was. Only for Jo to meet Chris towards the end of it and him to beg her to be a Tier 5, the worse of the tiers so he could try to save her. Until Adam appears. Someone else she recognizes in her past life but with no memories, all she knows is her feelings towards him. And he demands she be put in Tier 1 and whisks her off. Only for more training and in a place where she absolutely did not fit in, based on her personality. And from there the book just goes on as these 3 characters struggle to fit in and be selfish and try to figure out their relationships with each other.
I don't want to keep going to spoil the journey for someone else but like I want to remind you, there are many triggers in this book that if it's something you can't read, this book wouldn't be for you. But it's your choice to make... This book just took me on a journey and I absolutely loved that journey. My heart broke for Jo as she struggled and I rooted for her as she tried to save someone that she felt so strongly for. And how she dealt with her own traumas made me admire her. Will I be reading the second book? Yes! I will.
First I will say before I get into the actual review, that the authors need to not give a trigger warning I both understand but also I feel like it needs one nevertheless. So if you are triggered by things like women being treated like sex slaves, rape, or anything to that effect, I wouldn't recommend this book. It just isn't for you unless it is something specific you are looking for.
What I hated.
There are really only 1 or 2 things I hated about this book. First, there were no explanations really. But I can look past it as this book REALLY drew you in, and you kinda only know as much as the characters know. I didn't easily figure out what was going on, were they in a type of HELL, sure. Secondly, I hated we only had a point of view from 1 of the 3 main characters. The entire time we knew how Jo thought and her struggles and what she wanted. But I would have loved to know what Chris and Adam's were, The memories they had known and remembered since they had known more than she did.
What I loved.
I loved the way the author's words flowed together and how descriptive her world-building was. She didn't leave out details and at the same time, she didn't overload you with them. She didn't give flowery descriptions it was amazing. It drew me in, Other than sleep and real-life things I didn't put it down and had to finish this book. I wanted to know what was going to happen and how they were going to overcome their next huddle. Now did this get me in my feels? No. But at the same time, I would recommend this.
About the book.
At the beginning of the book, Chris and Jo wake up naked, with no memories in the middle of a dessert. No one in sight, and somewhere that is not their planet. Every day they "burn" and at night they travel trying to find someone or someplace safe from the sun. This is the part of the book I immediately wanted to know Chris's POV because Jo wanted so badly to get close to him and in a way, I wanted to know why if she was the only woman would he push her away or at times seem to hate her if they had no memories of whatever past life they had together. Yet he protected her, They eventually find a city, underground where they no longer have to worry about facing another day in the sun where they would fall asleep and be in agony until the night. But this world was unlike something they expected to find. Jo and Chris get separated and since women were few they had become the property of the men. Separating into separate tiers based on how their performance in their training was. Only for Jo to meet Chris towards the end of it and him to beg her to be a Tier 5, the worse of the tiers so he could try to save her. Until Adam appears. Someone else she recognizes in her past life but with no memories, all she knows is her feelings towards him. And he demands she be put in Tier 1 and whisks her off. Only for more training and in a place where she absolutely did not fit in, based on her personality. And from there the book just goes on as these 3 characters struggle to fit in and be selfish and try to figure out their relationships with each other.
I don't want to keep going to spoil the journey for someone else but like I want to remind you, there are many triggers in this book that if it's something you can't read, this book wouldn't be for you. But it's your choice to make... This book just took me on a journey and I absolutely loved that journey. My heart broke for Jo as she struggled and I rooted for her as she tried to save someone that she felt so strongly for. And how she dealt with her own traumas made me admire her. Will I be reading the second book? Yes! I will.
January 24, 2022
2☆
TW: explicit rape scene, misogyny, objectification of women
I don't even know where to begin. This was the weirdest roller coaster of a book I've ever read.
It wasn't a bad book, but it also wasn't good. The writing was good and bad simultaneously, yet I was definitely intrigued (I read the whole book in one day).
Plot
At first, I was enjoying them being stranded and not knowing why they were in hell. But once they found civilization it wasn't as good.
Love Triangle/Romance
God, do I hate love triangles, and this one is no exception. Throughout the book, I was more team Christopher, I felt like Jo had more chemistry with him than with Adam. Then, in the end, I was more team Adam, for obvious reasons and mostly because I had no other choice, but he still felt meh. Both of them were walking red flags and I just didn't like either of them by the end of the book.
Characters
None of the characters were good. I didn't like any of them: Jo was annoying, Christopher for obvious reasons, and Adam was just meh. Also, they were barely described, I honestly don't know what any of them look like, except that they have very large breasts and bulges.
Plot Twist
I was actually shook, which is saying a lot because I usually predict most plot twists (what can I say, I'm a self-proclaimed genius)
Worldbuilding
Aside from the fact that I didn't like the civilization part of the book, I did find the world interesting and unique. I'm still confused about a lot of it though
Darkness
In the beginning, there is a consent/warning that there will be dark themes in this book, which I was fine with. However, I didn't find that overall this book was that dark. Only the ending was truly dark .
Smut
It wasn't that great. Some scenes were good, but mostly it was meh.
The next two points are spoilery, so you have been warned!
She forgives him??
I'm genuinely confused at how easily she forgives the guy who RAPES her. And, yes, I've read a lot of manga where consent is not a thing, but this was just something else.
The Ending
THE FUCKING AND IT WAS ALL A DREAM TROPE -- fuck that
Did I like it? Not really. Was it hard to put down? Yes. Do I recommend this? No, though I would love to discuss with someone else...
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: explicit rape scene, misogyny, objectification of women
I don't even know where to begin. This was the weirdest roller coaster of a book I've ever read.
It wasn't a bad book, but it also wasn't good. The writing was good and bad simultaneously, yet I was definitely intrigued (I read the whole book in one day).
Plot
At first, I was enjoying them being stranded and not knowing why they were in hell. But once they found civilization it wasn't as good.
Love Triangle/Romance
God, do I hate love triangles, and this one is no exception. Throughout the book, I was more team Christopher, I felt like Jo had more chemistry with him than with Adam. Then, in the end, I was more team Adam, for obvious reasons and mostly because I had no other choice, but he still felt meh. Both of them were walking red flags and I just didn't like either of them by the end of the book.
Characters
None of the characters were good. I didn't like any of them: Jo was annoying, Christopher for obvious reasons, and Adam was just meh. Also, they were barely described, I honestly don't know what any of them look like, except that they have very large breasts and bulges.
Plot Twist
I was actually shook, which is saying a lot because I usually predict most plot twists (what can I say, I'm a self-proclaimed genius)
Worldbuilding
Aside from the fact that I didn't like the civilization part of the book, I did find the world interesting and unique. I'm still confused about a lot of it though
Darkness
In the beginning, there is a consent/warning that there will be dark themes in this book, which I was fine with. However, I didn't find that overall this book was that dark. Only the ending was truly dark .
Smut
It wasn't that great. Some scenes were good, but mostly it was meh.
The next two points are spoilery, so you have been warned!
She forgives him??
I'm genuinely confused at how easily she forgives the guy who RAPES her. And, yes, I've read a lot of manga where consent is not a thing, but this was just something else.
The Ending
THE FUCKING AND IT WAS ALL A DREAM TROPE -- fuck that
Did I like it? Not really. Was it hard to put down? Yes. Do I recommend this? No, though I would love to discuss with someone else...
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2022
Received this for an honest review so here it is.
I have to start asking every reader to really pay attention to the TW, cause someone wrote that hole section for a reason.
With that being said, this baby was surprising for me, the world construction is incredible, nothing I've ever heard or read, the way the society is constructed and divided, the values, the people, the way they express themselves, the way they react are just a mirage of the current reality but the way it is written makes it more digestible and comprehensible.
The characters development is a hole other topic to be talked about, it's true that some of the things that happened to the main characters and the way they reacted it's not like most of us would, but that doesn't mean the approach is incorrect, in reality it's just a way to let us understand why they did it and why they forgave it but most important, it is letting us understand the next things that will happen where we find the real message of the book, on the end, it is a good dark romance and I really enjoyed it.
I have to start asking every reader to really pay attention to the TW, cause someone wrote that hole section for a reason.
With that being said, this baby was surprising for me, the world construction is incredible, nothing I've ever heard or read, the way the society is constructed and divided, the values, the people, the way they express themselves, the way they react are just a mirage of the current reality but the way it is written makes it more digestible and comprehensible.
The characters development is a hole other topic to be talked about, it's true that some of the things that happened to the main characters and the way they reacted it's not like most of us would, but that doesn't mean the approach is incorrect, in reality it's just a way to let us understand why they did it and why they forgave it but most important, it is letting us understand the next things that will happen where we find the real message of the book, on the end, it is a good dark romance and I really enjoyed it.
August 13, 2022
Dark, Delicious and Disturbing.
The story takes us to a hostile place, where good and evil take forms we're not used to. Beware this is a dark book. Heed the authors warning! ⚠️ Some parts could be very disturbing for some people.
We follow a few people in their struggle to make sense of their new surroundings and figuring out who they are and how they got there.
And truth be told, by the time we find out how they got there and who they are, I found myself having a few of my own preconceptions of good and bad people challenged. The Darkness this book brings has a way of shining its own light on truths.
The World building is fantastic, the characters grow at a good paste. Every chapters lifts more of the veil that's clouding your mind as a reader. More than once I scratched my head in wonder and suspicion. The pace of the story was so great I finished it in one go. This book is so delicious I can't wait for the next part of the tale...
The story takes us to a hostile place, where good and evil take forms we're not used to. Beware this is a dark book. Heed the authors warning! ⚠️ Some parts could be very disturbing for some people.
We follow a few people in their struggle to make sense of their new surroundings and figuring out who they are and how they got there.
And truth be told, by the time we find out how they got there and who they are, I found myself having a few of my own preconceptions of good and bad people challenged. The Darkness this book brings has a way of shining its own light on truths.
The World building is fantastic, the characters grow at a good paste. Every chapters lifts more of the veil that's clouding your mind as a reader. More than once I scratched my head in wonder and suspicion. The pace of the story was so great I finished it in one go. This book is so delicious I can't wait for the next part of the tale...
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